Video from my trip across the Brazilian Amazon on the famed BR-230 TransAmazonica Highway across the jungle. A remote track cutting across the largest rainforest in the world. The road is pretty straight for the most part but got hilly, here and there. It was nice to get up close and see what this famous jungle is about, but also sad to see how much of it is being burnt down for cattle ranches.

Filmed with a GoPro HD camera. August 2010.
Click here for more Videos.

Thats a great video Jay! love the music. So how many days did it take you to cross the TransAmazonica Highway? are gas station few and far between?

Thats a great video Jay! love the music. So how many days did it take you to cross the TransAmazonica Highway? are gas station few and far between?

Thanks for liking the music. It took a while to find the right track for this video
From Humaita to Maraba (dirt sections of the TA), it took me 9 days to cover the 2,070 kms. I'm not on a race and was doing only about 200-300 kms per day. Gas is limited for sure and the longest range needed is 400 kms. From Humaita, there is gas at the town simply called KM 180, then at Apui (+215 kms), then possible to buy from soda bottles at Sucunduri, halfway to Jacareacanga (+248), then the 400 km stretch through the densest part of the route to Itaituba, no gas till there. Then it starts to get more busy, so gas easier to find in all the small towns.

Here's a post with info on how to plan your ride around Southern Patagonia. All this info is in my above posts from the region, but this should be easier just for those who are researching and to link and share the info.

After crisscrossing across the borders of Chile and Argentina in the Lake District, here are the routes south: In Argentina, you can take Ruta 40 all the way to Rio Gallegos and then just cross once into Chile to get to Tierra del Fuego. But, that's quite a dull route. So, to ride the Carretera Austral, from Chile, you can take a long ferry ride from Puerto Montt to Chaiten and then you're on the Carretera. I think you can also take a ferry from Castro on Chiloe island.

I stayed on the Argentina side and after Esquel, you get the land border crossing at Futalefu and then head down to the Carretera.

On the Carretera, the only exit options back to Argentina in the south are at Chile Chico and Paso Roballos. It's one-way from El Maiten to Villa O'Higgins and back.

Back in Argentina, Ruta 40 takes you to El Calafate for the Perito Moreno Glacier. From there, head to Rio Turbio to cross back into Chile for Torres del Paine, which is north of Puerto Natales. I think there's another crossing further north, closer to the park, but not sure.

After Torres del Paine, there are two options to get to Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia: the $70 ferry from Punta Arenas to Porvenir or the $14 (or free) ferry from Punta Delgada to Cerro Sombrero, which is further north. The road is gravel on the Chilean side of Tierra del Fuego, then all paved on the Argentine side.

The Suzuki DR650 is a fantastic bike. I am happy with how well she just keeps chugging along. Yes, I've had a few breakdowns, but nothing major. Well, after destroying an engine at the beginning, everything else is a walk in the park. And I'm of the belief that preventative maintenance can prevent most breakdowns, so it all starts with the owner. For the value (costing me only $1200), she's a mighty bang for the buck. Do I yearn for more power besides the 39 hp and 33 ft-lbs of torque? Yes, at times I do, but for riding through developing countries, she's perfect. I have great memories of many lively rides, charging up a twisty uphill, banging away between 2nd and 3rd and letting her sing through the RPMs (around Tafi del Valle in Argentina). However, with the weight I'm carrying, I'm fully aware of the penalty and treat her gently most of the time. We're going to be together for years to come...

13 months into the trip, I've covered 58,282 km (36,200 miles). Chassis mileage (since 1998) is at 100,142 kms (62,200 miles) and engine mileage (2003 model) is at 69,408 kms (43,111 miles). I just use regular dino oil, since synthetic is way too expensive outside the US and just change it out every 5,000 kms (3,100) miles.

On the chassis, bearings have been replaced regularly and I keep inspecting for frame cracks, but all is well. I rebuilt the full suspension in Sao Paulo and have had no issues with any parts of it. On the engine, in Sao Paulo (at 29k) I overhauled the top end with new piston rings, valve oil seals and reseated the valve guides. Cylinder liner looked great and no other signs of wear.

Here's a Cooliris wall of some photos of the mechanical side of the bike, including tools used, breakdowns and maintenance:

Right Click on images to go into full screen mode and move cursor away from zoomed-in image to hide captions.

BreakdownsRear Rotor-side Wheel Bearing - 1st failure at 15,115 miles into the trip, second one failed after another 18,700 miles. Clutch - ruined by me, getting stuck in a sandy berm.Throttle Cable - started to fray and got notchy, but I overlooked it and then it finally broke after a life of 35,000 miles.

Aftermarket ModsAqualine Safari Tank - excellent, sturdy, survived 2 tarmac slides in the wet and many drops with no cracking. I've put in 40 Liters (10.6 gallons) for a range of 800 kms (500 miles). Cleaned the petcocks in Sao Paulo.Corbin Seat - does the job, but trick is to regularly change up the surface with beads, sheepskin, etc.Mikuni Flat Slide TM40 Carb - good throttle response, takes a while to warm up.GSX-R Exhaust - awesome, makes the bike sound great, still getting good gas mileage.Trail Tech Vapor - sturdy, no issues, except I have a problem with the power cable and lose all data when I shut down. Just need to hunt it down.WER Steering Stabilizer - works as advertised, good job in the sand and when hitting pot holes.Larry Roeseler 420 Progressive Rear Shock - excellent, waiting for it to blow but hasn't happened yet.Scotts Stainless Steel Oil Filter - excellent. No need to worry about where to get new filters. Clean with gasoline or diesel and put back. Good way to see what's floating around in your oil (for diagnostics).Highway Pegs - great for reducing the strain on your legs on a lond day. Added benefit of acting like frame slider and taking the brunt of falls and protecting the levers and engine.

Electrical ModsJammin Switch Box - rocks! Am so pleased that it's worked flawlessly. The weathertite switches from NKK also get a check mark.Centech AP-2 Fuse Box - worked well until corrosion shorted out the lines. Put in inline fuses and still haven't repaired the centech...Voltminder Battery Monitor - keeps chugging along telling me how healthy the battery is.Stebel Nautilus Compact Horn - worked great initially, but then not getting oomph now. I think it got damaged by being too close to the header. Haven't investigated yet.Jammin Solar Panel - it works, but I've really had no need for it. Maybe now in Africa...Vision X Solstice LED Lights - fantastic, super bright and I can even run only with the two lights at night if needed.Garmin 60Cx - robust and reliable. Only one issue with the screen, where some dead pixels started to grow for a few months, then disappeared and all is good now. I bought this unit refurbished in 2007 and still going strong.GoPro HD Helmet Camera - work as advertised, except will fog on inside and ruin video when change in humidity. Put cotton swabs or buy new anti-fog inserts.

Tools
I think I'm carrying just the right amount of tools to do pretty much any kind of job on the bike, like a clutch repair in the middle of the altiplano. Motion Pro Chain Breaker and Rivet Tool - heavy, but crucial tool.15" Cruved Tire Irons - makes tire repairs/changes a breeze, don't fight it.TyrePliers Bead Breaker - works as advertised, but sometimes will only break the bead on one side, then have to use tire irons to break free other side.Homemade Bike Crutch - vital tool for tire repairs.Air Compressor - another vital tool. Buy a simple one from auto parts store and remove all the outside housings.

LuggageHappy Trails Teton Panniers - excellent. Lid mechanism is fantastic, perfect for roadside breaks. Good construction but overloading them lead to weld cracks. Good customer service. Top box is ginormous, love it.Happy Trails SU Frame - I'm clearly overloading the luggage frame and after a good beating on washboard, some cracks appear and I head to the nearest welder.Devon's Mega Tool Tubes - fantastic. Huge, able to swallow lots of things like air compressor, rear tubes, spices, etc.

Good day Jay, outstanding update. I really liked the way you did the pictures all in one album. I need to learn how to do that for my next trip. is it worth the effort for a guy with average computer knowledge?

Yeah, the Cooliris software seems pretty nifty for reporting from the road.

The mechanical update and summary is appreciated, too. Also--I just started an apprenticeship as a mechanic with Werkstatt in San Francisco. Daniel was telling me about the bummer of your needed engine replacement the other day, and I came home and found your trip report here. Daniel was pretty pleased to hear that you're still jammin'.

__________________Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe. --Anatole France

Good day Jay, outstanding update. I really liked the way you did the pictures all in one album. I need to learn how to do that for my next trip. is it worth the effort for a guy with average computer knowledge?
BTW I bought a t-shirt.
Thank you for sharing again.
Cheers

Thx for supporting with a shirt

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adv Grifter

Yea! I love that CoolIris software. Easy install?

Yeah, the Cooliris wall is really easy to do. It works by pulling photos from an external source, so first you have to have a photo album on flickr, picasa or just facebook. Then on the Cooliris site, you sign in to your account that has these photos, it pulls them, makes this flash photo wall and gives you some code that you copy and paste into a forum reply.

The mechanical update and summary is appreciated, too. Also--I just started an apprenticeship as a mechanic with Werkstatt in San Francisco. Daniel was telling me about the bummer of your needed engine replacement the other day, and I came home and found your trip report here. Daniel was pretty pleased to hear that you're still jammin'.

Hey Rex, very cool. Yeah, the guys at Werkstatt were very friendly and helpful. Daniel did some fine tuning to my carb after I installed the new engine and that made it run really smooth. Tell him thanks for that

Quote:

Originally Posted by eakins

what about a worn out cush drive eating bearings?

I think you're onto something. My cush drive rubbers were hard as rock, probably same ones since 1998 and I did finally put in some new ones after I landed in Hamburg. Let's see when the next bearing failure happens now...

One more thing with the cush drive rubbers: since they're a pain to keep in place when putting back the rear tire, I asked a mechanic and he said it would be ok if I applied some RTV silicone to glue the cush drive rubbers into the wheel hub and I did that before starting the trip. Do you think this reduced their effectiveness and lead to bearing failure? I only applied some grip glue when I put in the new rubbers, should be less strong that RTV, right?

This is a comparison of the price of petrol in the countries of the Americas. I did not ride through Canada or Venezuela, but they're just thrown in for reference and it's fun to see the 'free' petrol in Hugo's land. Europe is also shown just for comparison.

This data is from when I rode through these countries in 2010/2011. First bar is USD/Liter (a global standard to compare fuel prices) and then USD/Gallon for y'all ya 'merkins.

This next chart shows how many kilometers (miles) were ridden on my trip through Latin America.

I have been following since the beginning! Great RR! I really appreciate the time required to keep this going. I like the in depth coverage of the ride without "manufactured" drama. I have no doubt that we are receiving the story the same way you did! Thanks again!

Hi Jay!
I have been following since the beginning! Great RR! I really appreciate the time required to keep this going. I like the in depth coverage of the ride without "manufactured" drama. I have no doubt that we are receiving the story the same way you did! Thanks again!
Donnie

Hey Donnie, thanks for following along You know I appreciate the support you guys give on this thread. You're like family
Yup, want to share what it's really like to be living on the road. The good times and the bad. Cheers

Here's a review of my gear that I've been using for the past 13 months since leaving Chicago.

Riding GearMotoport Ultra II Air Mesh Kevlar Suit - still in love with it. Very comfortable, great for hot weather up to the chills of the altiplano. 5 crashes so far (since 2007) and still going strong. Easy to wash and looks good when walking around non-riders. All black also commands attention from uniformed officials.Teknic Speedstar Gloves - excellent. Fingers started wearing through, but patched it up in Bolivia. Love the wrist protection.Rev'It Celsius Winter Gloves - gets the job done, but wear silk glove liners and rain covers for maximum protection.Oxtar TCX Comp Boots - durable and by now, comfortable. Squeaky but fixed with regular application of teflon wax. Torsional resistance really works. Arai XD - excellent helmet. Comfortable materials. Easy to wash and keep clean. Visor is indispensible, love it. Only got caught once of twice in the winds of Patagonia, not an issue.Aerostich Triple Digit Glove and Boot Covers - works well, but starting to lose effectiveness after so many years. Reinforced with duct tape.Hind Base Layers - basic synthetic running gear. Sweat, rinse, dry, repeat.Anti-Monkey Butt Powder - mana from heaven.

Off-bike GearKeen Venice Sandals - fantastic. Works as advertised. They're my only footwear and have worked in all sorts of social situations. Very sturdy, hiked up to Machu Picchu in them. No signs of wear. Lots of stubbed toes prevented.GuideGear Cargo Pants - bought cheap ones from hunting store, works great. Easy to wash because synthetic, but watch the flying embers from campfires! REI MultiTowel Lite Medium (25.5" x 15.5") - lightweight, compact and absorbs all the water after a bath, dries quick.Wahl Lithium-ion Trimmer - excellent motor, long battery life, but died after one year of use. Had to buy another one, sooo good for the baldness.

Camping GearCatoma Twist Tent - just the perfect size for infrequent camping. It's true that you don't need to camp at all if you want thru LatAm, but there are some really nice spots and this tent takes up very little space.MSR DragonFly Stove - functions great, so far. Very convenient to just take fuel from the gas tank and simmer option makes cooking rice possible.LifeSaver Water Purifier- works as advertised. I haven't spent a single penny on bottled water. I take water from a restaurant, tap, river, put it thru the filter, pump and drink. Haven't been sick due to water.

Yes! Finally I have my carnet de passage (bike's customs passport) approved for Egypt
Just to get those few red stamps required some crazy bureaucratic acrobatics

Ready to hit the road tomorrow. Goodbye Paris, it's been nice to spend a month here. Probably gained some pounds eating all that chocolate, mmm
Lots of paperwork, change in trip plans and preparing for Africa done. From here, I'm heading to Prague via Frankfurt to meet up with an old friend.